Nonfiction Book Review: They Called Themselves the KKK, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

 NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW: THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2010. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK: THE BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUP. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

Bartoletti introduces to the reader the rise of the K.K.K. following the end of the Civil War, and in the beginning of the era known as the Reconstruction Period.. In the midst of the  richly documented information that leads the reader through the timeline of events, Bartoletti interjects many first -person accounts from interviews (known as Slave Narratives) conducted with former slaves in the 1930s, who described their personal accounts of the terror that arose from the incomprehensible horror of the K.K.K’s atrocities. Bartoletti leads the reader through the roots of the KKK, a white supremacist group, its founding, actions and quotes from its main members and leaders, and the ultimate impact the terrorist group had upon the rest of the country, both at the time of its inception, as well as in present-day America. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Award- winning author of HITLER YOUTH and BLACK POTATOES, Bartoletti seems to be an expert in the field of bringing little- known history into the hands of young adult readers, and actively engaging them in questioning how these pivotal moments in history impact our lives today. With THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE K.K.K…Bartoletti goes the extra mile to explain in her A NOTE TO THE READER section the language used, images depicted, and the racism and hurt that may come from such language and images, while informing the reader that she cannot and will not censor anything, in order to better inform the reader of the urgency during this horrific time. 

Bartoletti states, 

“Wherever possible, I have let the people of the past speak their own voices. Some of these people use crude language. No matter how difficult it is  to see the offensive words in print, I have made no attempt to censor these historical statements. You will see images from pictorial newspapers… These images depict people, events, and viewpoints of the time. Some of the depictions are caricatured and racially offensive. I deeply regret any offense or hurt caused by the images, but again I have chosen not to censor.”

In her text, Bartoletti uses a Contents page to direct readers to the different sections and their themes, a Civil Rights Timeline that gives dates and the important events that occurred during that year, a Quote Attributions list of quotes mentioned by chapter with their references, a Bibliography and Source Notes section, and finally a Index to provide a more than adequate detailing of the sources she used to form her narrative of the K.K.K. In each of the many images Bartoletti placed in this work, she gives a brief description of what the image is about, where it appeared, and the intended meaning to the audience at the time, as well as the source that she located the image. 

The text is laid out by chapters, organized in a timeline of events from when the Civil War ended, through the Reconstruction Era, and the End of the Reconstruction Era, and the atmosphere of  the country during that time in relation to the K.K.K. Each chapter title is a phrase derived from a first-person account quote within the chapter, describing the overall theme of the chapter. Each chapter has 3-4 first-person accounts, with a picture of the person who lived through the Reconstruction time who was once a slave during the time period, and a brief description of their life during that time. There are 1-2 pictures per page that help highlight the information found in the text, and carry the narrative forward. 

The cover itself is immediately attention-grabbing to the reader: a well-used  K.K.K hood looms in the foreground, surrounded by a black background. Inside the cover, the author gives a brief note on the hood pictured on the cover, and its mysterious disappearance, as well as the date of the use of the hood, which was during the 1920s. Images throughout the text consist of original photographs, editorial illustrations and depictions, and political cartoons, the majority of which are from the Library of Congress archives. 

Finally, Bartoletti’s unique tone on such a serious subject encourages readers to dig further into the text. Her words provide interesting, truthful tones, while being somber and respectful of those whom the violence impacted. The word choice of this deeply moving text about the formation of such a dark stain in our nation’s society proves she does not take the responsibility of informing young readers lightly. Furthermore, while the focus of the book concerns a very dark time in our nation’s history that brought to light an ideology that continues to this day, her passion for the subject and for  informing young readers about a topic our current history books try to dust over is evident, and her vocabulary remains respectful to the time and use during the period, as well as being clear for young adult readers. The written text as a whole seems to become a conversation between Bartoletti and the reader, with Bartoletti encouraging the reader to think critically regarding our nation’s history as they know it, and compare the terrorist and white supremacy groups to what is continuing to happen in our present day America. 

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal:
“This richly documented, historically contextualized account traces the origin and evolution of the Ku Klux Klan from a small mischievous social club into a powerful, destructive organization. With compelling clarity, anecdotal detail, and insight, Bartoletti presents the complex era of Reconstruction, 1865–1877, that gave rise to the KKK. After the Civil War, the defeated South was a simmering cauldron of political, economic, and social instability… Bartoletti effectively targets teens with her engaging and informative account that presents a well-structured inside look at the KKK, societal forces that spawn hate/terrorist groups, and the research process.”

5. CONNECTIONS 

Awards and Recognitions: 

• ALA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, 2011

• Hornbook Fanfare, 2010

• School Library Journal Best Books, 2010

Read-Alikes to pair with THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK:

Nonfiction: 

• Anderson, Carol. WE ARE  NOT YET EQUAL: UNDERSTANDING OUR RACIAL DIVIDE. ISBN 9781547600762

• Colbert, Brandy. BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY: THE STORY AND LEGACY OF THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASACRE. ISBN: 9780063056664

• Gates, Henry. DARK SKY RISING: RECONSTRUCTION AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW. ISBN 9781338262049

• Hartfield, Claire. A FEW RED DROPS: THE CHICAGO RACE RIOTS OF 1919. ISBN: 9780544785137

• Kendi, Ibram. STAMPED: RACISM, ANTI RACISM, AND YOU. ISBN 9780316453691

Fiction: 

• Coles, Michelle. BLACK WAS THE INK. ISBN: 9781643794310

• Hesse, Karen. WITNESS. ISBN: 9780439271998

• Latham, Jennifer. DREAMLAND BURNING. ISBN: 9780316384933

• Lester, Julius. DAY OF TEARS: A NOVEL IN DIALOGUE. ISBN: 9780786804900

• Pink, Randy. ANGEL OF GREENWOOD. ISBN: 9781250768476

• Westwick, Anne. BROTHERHOOD. ISBN 9780670014392

Activities: 

Setting: Public Library: 

YA book club- exploring US history through pairings of Fiction and Nonfiction books. 

• After reading the book:
  Book Tasting: Nonfiction and Fiction pairings of books similar to the chosen book that was picked for the month’s reading and discussion.. Book club members can explore books similar to the one they have read and have the opportunity to check out any books they wish from the Book Tasting area. 

• After reading the book:
  Book Discussion - 

• Compare and contrast how events of the reconstruction era and a white supremacist group are similar to what is happening today. 

• Discuss how white supremacist groups, such as the KKK, are portrayed in popular media, such as films (“Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”) and hate groups' social media presence online today.